Lens Metric Scores

Further readings for the Pentax smc DA Star 300mm F4 ED (IF) SDM

To provide photographers with a broader perspective about mobiles, lenses and cameras, here are links to articles, reviews, and analyses of photographic equipment produced by DxOMark, renown websites, magazines or blogs.

Announced in June this year, the K-50 is an accessibly priced environmentally sealed DSLR featuring a built-in stabilization and a 16-MPix APS-C size CMOS sensor. As Pentax has yet to introduce a full-frame DSLR to the range the K-50, like others before it, can benefit from one of the largest lens ranges designed for the smaller APS-C sensor. The result is an appealing and unsurpassed range of compact and highly portable primes and zooms. We have analyzed the optical properties of 28 different models in total from Pentax as well as third-party makers, mounted on the new K-50, to help you in your selection either when buying new for the first time or when simply choosing which lens to take with you on your next shoot.

With the vagaries of photographing wildlife, the flexibility of a telephoto zoom would appear to be an attractive solution. However, image quality is often a compromise at the maximum aperture and longest focal length, typically the most crucial settings. We’ve pulled some lens data from our database and put together a round up of popular zoom lenses over the years (and made some comparisons with high performance primes). Read on to find out which models have the best image quality.

Launched in July 1999, the Canon EF300mm f/2.8L IS USM lens has been one of the most popular super telephoto lenses in the Canon range for wildlife and sports photographers alike. As expected for a super telephoto lens with a constant f/2.8 aperture and an Image Stabilizer, it is right at the top of the tree in terms of cost. But does the performance match the price? DxOMark presents the results, including a comparison of the Canon with the Pentax smc DA Star 300mm f/ 4 ED (IF) SDM, a lens also recently tested in our laboratories.